BOSSY BLOSSOM

[CAM]

I have 4 sows, Blossom, Winnie, Daisy & Honey. Blossom was the first one I had in June, 2 days later I had Winnie. They get on great but Blossom is definately the boss.

After having these 2 I am now addicted to guineas so In July I had Daisy & Honey who I keep in a separate hutch from the first 2.

I introduced these to Blossom and Winnie in the garden run (in the summer) and they got on fine. However, sometimes when they are all out to play together Blossom can be very bossy towards Daisy and Honey. She doesn't bite them or anything, she my just chase them a little and if one of them is in an igloo she will go in and you may hear a little wheek and she pushes the smaller one out. This doesn't happen every day when they are playing, it depends on what mood "Bossy Blossom" is in.

Is this normal behaviour?

 

[jnenbnb]

Aw how cute that they all get on most of the time. I wouldn't worry too much about blossom, she's probably just showing them she's boss, one of mine always gets the best pigloo etc but i just put two in there so they can't fight over them. My less dominant piggie can be very dramatic sometimes aswell, some of the noises she makes you'd swear she was being bitten but bumbles nowhere near her! I'd just say keep an eye on them, try putting 4 pigloos in, Blossom cant guard 4 at once and she'll soon get the message that te little ones need one too! if you think she is bullying them though, like stopping them from eating etc it might be an idea to split them back into the original pairs. It sounds normal to me though, it takes a long time for them to settle and i'm sure they'll sort it out soon
Love Emma x

 

[EmmaClaire]

I have had the same troiuble with mine i have five sows who get on great apart from one she is the boss i have tried everythink and like you they do get on in the garden (i think thats because they are too busy eating grass ) but when i tried to put them together indoors she was biting them and had them all up a corner bunched up and wouldnt let them run about she lives with a male pig now i cannot put her with females too nasty > >

 

[CAM]

Thanks for the replies!

I think I am probably over reacting about Blossoms bossiness. It is only sometimes when they are all playing together. They do live and sleep in their original pairs in two separate hutches and are great. It's only when I put them out to play together in their shed that she sometimes bosses the others about.

Generally she is a really lovey guinea and she is so funny sometimes. When they are playing I put all of their toys out i.e. tubes, balls, igloo etc and also I put out the 2 wooden cabins that they have in each of their hutches. If the little ones are in 1 cabin she will go and push her way in, so they will go to the other log cabin, Blossom then decides she wants that cabin so she goes and squeezes in there and then the little ones go back to the other and so it goes on and on, its is so funny!